The internal combustion engine has been used almost exclusively for the propulsion of automobiles and other terrestrial vehicles for about a century. The control arrangements, including a brake pedal centered between a clutch pedal and an accelerator pedal (accelerator), together with a transmission gear control lever or stick, have remained substantially the same for more than 70 years, although the use of automatic transmissions has eliminated the need for clutch pedals on those vehicles so equipped, and has modified the function of the gear lever. The function of the gear lever has in some cases been taken over, or partially taken over, by pushbuttons which, in various operating modes, control the gear ratio or set of gear ratios. These control arrangements are ingrained in the driving population, and must be taken into account when devising controls for electrically driven automobiles, whether these be pure-electric or hybrid electric.
Improved control arrangements are desired for vehicles powered in whole or in part by electric motors.